Air conditioner including vent control means



' y Nv.11,1969 J,A,P|ETSH 3,477,211

AIR CONDITIONER INCLUDING VENT CONTROL MEANS Filed Feb. 25, 1966 INVENTOR TosEPH A. PE1-5CH H15 ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,477,211 AIR CONDITIONER INCLUDING VENT CONTRUL MEANS Joseph A. Pietsch, Louisville, Ky., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Filed Feb. 25, 1966, Ser. No. 530,120

Int. Cl. B01d 51/10 U.S. Cl. 55-418 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A room air conditioner having a unitary combination air filter and valve member with a filter portion and a valve portion. The air conditioner has a casing defining a first air flow passage for circulating a stream of indoor air through an air conditioning means and discharging conditioned air into the room, and a second air flow passage for the flow of a stream of outdoor air into the room. Means are provided to support the member in either one of two positions in the path of the air streams flowing through both of the passages. The valve portion substantially prevents the flow of outdoor air through the second passage when the member is in one of its positions and the filter portion filters both air streams when the member is in its second position.

The present invention relates to air conditioners and is more particularly concerned with air conditioning units adapted to be mounted in a window or other wall opening and operable both to condition the air within a room or other enclosed area and to supply ventilation air to the room by delivering outdoor air thereto.

Such air conditioning units normally comprise a casing generally divided into an indoor compartment and an outdoor compartment and a refrigeration system including an indoor heat exchanger for conditioning the indoor or room air contained within the indoor compartment. For the purpose of conditioning the indoor air, the unit includes means defining an air flow passage for circulating indoor air through the heat exchanger and discharging conditioned air into the room. In order to supply ventilation air to. the room, the unit includes means forming a second air fiow passage having an inlet for outdoor air and an outlet for delivering the outdoor air to the room. Such units also include a filter for filtering the air ysupplied to the room being conditioned and a damper or valve means for controlling the flow of Ventilating outdoor air tothe room.

The present invention has as its primary object the provision of an air conditioning unit including a novel combination air filter and valve member for both filtering the air streams passing through the unit and controlling the flow of Ventilating air to the room.

Additional objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds and the features of novelty which characterize the invention will -be pointed out with particularity in the claim annexed to and forming part of this specification.

In carrying out the objects of the present invention, there is provided an air conditioner for conditioning the air within the room or other enclosed area comprising an indoor heat exchanger for conditioning the room air and means defining a first air flow passage for circulating indoor air withdrawn from the enclosure through the air conditioning means and discharging the conditioned air into the enclosure. The unit also includes means defining a second or Ventilating air flow passage for delivering outdoor air to the room. For the purpose of filtering the air supplied to the room and also for controlling the ow of Ventilating air through the second air flow passage,

3,47.7,21 l Patented Nov. 11, 1969 f ice there is provided a combination filter and valve member and means for supporting that member in a first position 1n which its filter portion filters the air liowing through the first air fiow passage and the valve portion substantlally prevents the flow of Ventilating air through the second air flow passage or in a second position in which the filter portion filters the air streams fiowing to the room through both of the air flow passages.

For a better understanding of the invention reference may be had to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a somewhat schematic, vertical sectional view of one embodiment of the present invention in which the combination filter and Valve member is positioned to provide for the flow of Ventilating air to the enclosure being conditioned;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical sectional view of a portion of the unit of FIGURE 1 with the combination filter and valve member positioned to prevent the flow of Ventilating air to the enclosure;

FIGURE 3 is a Vertical sectional View of another form of air conditioning unit embodying the present invention;

FIGURE 4 is a vertical sectional view of a third embodiment of the present invention; and

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of a combination lter and valve member suitable for the practice of the present invention.

Referring to FIGURES 1 and 2 of the drawing, there is illustrated one embodiment of the present invention in the form of an air conditioner comprising a casing 1 divided by a recess 2 into an indoor compartment 3 and an outdoor compartment 4. This type of unit is designed to be mounted in a window, the recess 2 being adapted to receive the lower window sash 5 which can be substantially closed into engagement with an interconnecting portion 6 connecting the indoor and outdoor sections of the unit. The indoor compartment 3 contains an indoor heat exchanger 7 and a fan 8 driven by a motor 9 for circulating indoor or room air through the indoor compartment 3. The outdoor compartment 4 contains an outdoor heat exchanger 10 and a fan 11 driven by a motor 12 for circulating outdoor air through the compartment 4. The outdoor compartment 4 also normally contains a compressor (not shown) and when such a unit is employed for cooling the air within the room or enclosure served thereby, the compressor, the outdoor heat exchanger 10, suitable oW restricting means such as a capillary tube and the indoor heat exchanger 7 are connected in closed series connection to form a refrigeration circuit in which the outdoor heat exchanger 10 operates as a condenser and the indoor heat exchanger 7 operates as an evaporator for cooling air circulated therethrough.

The air flow passage or path for circulating indoor air in heat exchange relationship with the evaporator 7 is generally defined by the walls of the casing defining the indoor compartment 3. This air -How passage has an inlet 14 in the rear or window side of the compartment 3 and a louvered outlet 15 in the front wall of the compartment 3 whereby the operation of the fan 8 draws room air into the inlet 14 and discharges the air through the evaporator 7 and back into the room through the outlet 15.

For the purpose of supplying the Ventilating or outdoor air to the room served by the unit, there is provided a second or Ventilating air flow passage including a duct 18 in the interconnecting portion 6 of the unit and an outdoor inlet 19 in one wall of the portion 6 communicating with the duct whereby under certain conditions of operation of the unit the fan 8 will draw outdoor air through the inlet 19, the duct 18 and the indoor compartment 3 and discharge the Ventilating air through the discharge outlet 15.

In accordance with the present invention, the flow of Ventilating air to the room being conditioned and the filtering of all of the air passing through the unit is provided by means of a combination air filter and valve member generally indicated by the numeral 21. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, this member is of a generally rectangular shape and includes a filter portion 22 having a relatively large area and a solid or air impervious valve portion 23 of a smaller area adjacent one edge or end of the member 21.

Means including a slot 25 in the top wall 26 of the indoor compartment 3 is provided for removably supporting the member 21 adjacent the indoor air inlet 14 whereby indoor air circulated through the compartment 3 passes through the filter portion 22. The member 21 also extends downwardly into and across the duct 18 or more specifically between the duct 18 and the compartment 3.

The member 21 is so designed that when supported in one position, as illustrated in FIGURE 1 of the drawing, the filter portion 22 extends downwardly into the Ventilating air passage defined by the duct 18 whereby ventilating air entering the inlet 19 can also flow through the filter and into the room being conditioned.

In its second or inverted position, as shown in FIG- URE 2 of the drawing, the valve portion 23 extends into and across the duct 18 to prevent the fiow of outdoor air through the Ventilating passage defined in part by the duct 18.

Thus depending upon the position of' the member 21, filtered outdoor or Ventilating air may be supplied to the room or the flow of such outdoor or Ventilating -air may be interrupted by closing of the second air passage by the valve portion 23 of the member 21. If desired, the member 21 may be of such a height that the upper edge portion extends above the top wall 26 of the unit in both positions and the respective ends of the member may be provided with suitable indicia, as indicated in FIGURE of the drawing, to indicate to the user that the vent or second air passage is either opened or closed depending upon the position of the member 21.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGURE 1 of the drawing, the indoor fan 8 provides the means for drawing Ventilating air from the outdoors into the enclosure being served by the unit.

In the embodiments of the invention shown in FIG- URES 3 and 4 of the drawing in which the same reference numerals are generally used to indicate the same or equivalent components, the outdoor fan may effect all or part of the flow of outdoor air or Ventilating air to the room and all or part of the Ventilating air may fiow directly to the room without passing through the indoor conditioning means.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGURE 3 of the drawing, both the inlet 31 and the discharge 32 for the first air fiow passage are in the front face or face of the unit. The filter and valve member 21 is positioned adjacent the inlet 31 with the filter portion 22 in the path of the indoor air circulated through the unit. Outdoor air is drawn into the outdoor compartment 4 through a grille 34 by fan 11 and after passing through the outdoor heat exchanger is discharged through the grille 35.

The second or air Ventilating air passage is defined in general by a duct 37 having an inlet 38 communicating with the outdoor compartment 4 downstream from fan 11 and an outlet adjacent the lower part of the grille 31. The reversible filter member 21 is positioned adjacent the indoor face of the unit. In one position the valve portion 23 will close the outlet end of the duct 37 as shown in FIGURE 3. When the member 21 is inverted, a part of the filter portion 22 will extend across the outlet from the duct 37 thereby permitting the fiow of filtered ventilating air to the room. In a unit of this type the outdoor fan effects the' fiowof Ventilating air through duct 37 although a portion of the Ventilating air may also be drawn into the indoor compartment by fan 8 for flow through heat exchanger 7.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG- URE 4 of the drawing, is adapted to operate in substantially the same manner as that shown in FIGURE 3 of the drawing except that the indoor air passes through the fan 8 before flowing through the heat exchanger 7 and the filter is illustrated in its Ventilating position.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by letters Patent of the United States is:

1. An air conditioner for conditioning the air within an enclosure comprising:

a casing;

means within said casing for conditioning air;

a first air fiow passage for circulating a stream of indoor air withdrawn from said enclosure through said air conditioning means and discharging conditioned air into said enclosure;

a second air fiow passage for the flow of a stream of outdoor air into said enclosure;

a unitary combination air filter and valve member having a filter portion and a valve portion;

and means for supporting said member in either one of two positions in the path of the air streams flowing through both of said passages;

said Valve portion substantially preventing the flow of outdoor air through said second passage when said member is in one of said positions and said filter portion filtering both vair streams when said member is in its second position;

said member being substantially rectangular and said valve portion being at one end of said member and the control of the fiow of the air through said second passage being controlled by endwise reversal of said member in said supporting means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS HARRY B. THORNTON, Primary Examiner BERNARD NOZICK, Assistant Examiner Us. C1. Xn. 55-472, 504, 529; 62-262 

